Los Valles Golf Course Community Update

Imagine living in a private, gated golf course community built around a brand-new top-of-the-line Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course, surrounded by lush rolling hills with either golf course or city views, with access to Santa Clarita's highly-rated schools, and all within easy driving distance from downtown Los Angeles.

Los Valles will have all this to offer and more! The Los Valles golf community in Santa Clarita will feature 209 custom and semi-custom homes built around an Arnold Palmer Signature Golf Course, with golf course memberships open mainly to those who own homes within the Los Valles community. Homeowners at Los Valles will also enjoy a private clubhouse with tennis courts, a swim and athletic club, and an upscale restaurant. For nature lovers, there will be hiking trails and parks to enjoy.

Homesites at Los Valles will have an average lot size of approximately 17,000 square feet, with some lots as large as one acre. Pricing is expected to start in the $700,000s for the lot only.

Homes at Los Valles will be either custom or semi-custom, depending on the homebuyer's preferences. There will be some "spec" homes available for purchase as well. The minimum home size is expected to be 3,500 square feet, and the average home size is expected to be between 4,500 and 4,800 square feet. Plan on building costs to be around $225 per square foot, so you'd be looking at close to $1.5 million as your minimum investment for a home in beautiful Los Valles.

Unlike homes in nearby Westridge (adjacent to the TPC Valencia Golf Course), Los Valles will have all underground utilities with no ugly power towers to ruin the view or the landscape. There may be opportunities for builders to build "spec" homes in the Los Valles development, subject to developer approval.

Building will start near the Front 9 adjacent to Hasley Hills and move towards the Back 9 as the project is built out over the next two years or so.

The Los Valles project still has a lot of grading to be completed before the golf course and homes can be started. So far, 2 million square feet of soil has been moved as grading progresses, which is only one fifth of the total soil that will be moved as the project reaches completion.

Golf course memberships are in addition to the price of the lots (and homes), although all homeowners will be able to enjoy the other amenities that the community has to offer. Golf memberships will be $40,000 for Los Valles homeowners, with monthly dues expected to be about $500 per month. A maximum of 375 memberships will be sold to "golf members" (as opposed to Founders or Corporate, which will allow up to 25 members each). Those who are not residents of Los Valles can apply for membership to the golf club, subject to approval, and are pretty much targeted towards those who live in the golf course homes at Westridge or similar areas.

So what's involved in buying a home at Los Valles? In order to be added to the interest list, you must place a $15,000 deposit with the builder to hold your spot. The $15,000 is fully refundable if you decide not to purchase, and will be held in an escrow account. So far the interest list is fairly short, with only about 30 slots taken, but as they ramp up their marketing efforts in the next month or so I'd expect more of these "reserved" slots to be taken. Sales are expected to begin in November 2007, with the final lots expected to be sold in late 2009.

Lots are selected on a first-come-first-served basis, according to phase releases. Or at least that's the initial intent, and this may change at the builder's discretion (or whim). The larger and more private lots are mostly more towards the Back 9, so those wanting these lots may have to wait up to two years before being able to purchase. However, as they "pass" on the earlier phase releases, those with higher reservation numbers (the earliest to ante up and reserve their slot) should retain their priority until their desired lot is released for sale. The builder's rep actually wanted me to delete this section, so suffice it to say that the earlier reservations should get some priority, but there is no guarantee that you'll get the lot you want as other factors may come into play, as in any builder's sales office.

Interested in reserving a home site at Los Valles? Contact Linda Slocum at 661.670.0349 or email me at Linda@SantaClaritaRealEstateBlog.com to set up an appointment to take a look at the Los Valles facility and add your name (and your deposit) to the interest list. Unlike other local builders, this reservation must be made in person, and requesting an appointment with the builder's rep is recommended to make sure that he's on-site when we arrive.

Also, be sure to take a look at our Tips for Buying New Construction before you venture into any of the new home developments in the Santa Clarita area.

Disclaimer: Linda Slocum is a licensed real estate agent specializing in the Santa Clarita area and is not a representative of Los Valles Properties, LLC.